Tips on repotting both the smallest and largest of bonsai using the Mirai methodology

[Meh]

Kind of a ridiculous claim. It's not even close to trademark infringment. He's not trying to pass himself off as mirai. There is no confusion. Anyone that reads the title can figure that out...

You're right, I conflated the title of the thread with the title of the video. My apologies to the OP.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

As others have pointed out... using someone else's name to promote your video, is disingenuous at best, fraudulent at worst.

Just watching someone else's video streaming doesn't make you their "student". Mirai has 100's of online streaming subscribers, but as far as I know, Ryan Neil has only a handful of students. Now perhaps you are one of the handful, in which case I apologize. I have attended many workshops over the years with many different bonsai instructors, but I would never claim I was a student of any of the instructors. Rather, I was a workshop participant. To say you are a student suggests a much more significant personal involvement with the instructor over a large number of sessions and a significant period of time.

Live in Portland and spend every Saturday at Mirai for a year, helping Ryan and learning from him, I would consider you a student.

 

[Adair M]

Steel wire necessary to hold a Shohin tree in a pot? Because aluminum might stretch? Really?

Aluminum wire will stretch if used as a guy wire to hold a heavy bend using a jack or something. I’ve used stainless steel wire for that application. But for holding a Shohin in its pit? Ridiculous! Steel wire is much stiffer and more difficult to manipulate than aluminum, and aluminum is cheaper. It’s a far better choice for Shohin.

The tie down method for holding trees down is clever, but I’m not a fan of the sticks across the surface. I can see it being useful in certain circumstances. I much prefer Boon’s and Bjorn’s “cage” method, as that usually results in the anchoring wire(s) all being well below the surface of the soil.

And, please, ease up on the music volume.

 

[ralf]

Rafael, seeing the size of your tools I know you are on a way to really large stuff. One day. Keep going. Its fun.

 

[Pitoon]

Thank you for taking the time to do this but the signature really says something about the OP. Not sure what is the purpose of showing all these video with all these big names attached to the title of the post.

click·bait: (on the Internet) content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page

 

[Fabledabel]

Just watching someone else's video streaming doesn't make you their "student". Mirai has 100's of online streaming subscribers, but as far as I know, Ryan Neil has only a handful of students

Just as a heads up. Ryan goes out of his way to address the whole Mirai subscriber community as his students. So he absolutely is a student of Mirari, at least in the way Ryan intends.

 

[Maloghurst]

I don’t think anyone cares that your making videos and yes maybe they can learn something. It’s just that your putting well known professionals names in title to get people to watch your video.

You would get much more respect and helpful criticism if you just put “Best way to repot bonsai” or “new amazing airlayering technique” like all the other people who are trying to make money on YouTube videos.
The members of this forum don’t hold back criticism and you can learn a lot from the members here. Even on making better videos. But people here will also call you out on bs.
I believe in your context we could all call ourselves students of Ryan Neil because I’ve watched some of his videos too.
When I go to YouTube to watch another mirai or a Walter pall video Id rather not find your videos at the top of the list that’s all.
Maybe you didn’t realize what you were doing but it seems you have enough information now to stop.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Just as a heads up. Ryan goes out of his way to address the whole Mirai subscriber community as his students. So he absolutely is a student of Mirari, at least in the way Ryan intends.

Not to get hung up on semantics, but we aren't talking about what Ryan intends. We're talking about common use of the language. If I watch a cooking show on television starring Gordon Ramsey, that does not make me his student... at least not at the level where I can start producing my own cooking videos and claiming to be a "student of Gordon Ramsey". The only reason you say such a thing is to benefit from borrowed fame.

Far better for @Rafael Najmanovich to make his own kick-ass bonsai videos without suggesting a relationship to these other instructors... and if they are good videos they will stand on their own feet.

 

[Fabledabel]

Not to get hung up on semantics, but we aren't talking about what Ryan intends. We're talking about common use of the language. If I watch a cooking show on television starring Gordon Ramsey, that does not make me his student... at least not at the level where I can start producing my own cooking videos and claiming to be a "student of Gordon Ramsey". The only reason you say such a thing is to benefit from borrowed fame.

Far better for @Rafael Najmanovich to make his own kick-ass bonsai videos without suggesting a relationship to these other instructors... and if they are good videos they will stand on their own feet.

Fair. But I think a more appropriate comparison would be joining an online course. You are a student in that case, and it's much closer to what Mirai is offering.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Fair. But I think a more appropriate comparison would be joining an online course. You are a student in that case, and it's much closer to what Mirai is offering.

Perhaps. But to be a student suggests a certain standard of instruction, quality and mastery. To even be accepted as a student usually requires a significant commitment of money and/or time - to say nothing of prior experience.

I can subscribe to Mirai with nothing more than a credit card, miss many of the streams, and sleep through the rest It's not like I am getting graded on knowledge retention and application. And let's face it, if Rafael had said "Subscriber to Bonsai Mirai, participant in Jim Doyle and Walter Pall workshops" I don't think anyone would have said anything

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

So I watched this video and watched some of your others. I'm glad to see that you are still doing your thing despite getting flamed from some people on these forums. I don't know who you have actually worked with, so I won't comment on the big name drops and instead will voice some of my opinions on the videos.

The Good:
1) I like your garden area and the camera quality is good. Its easy to watch. I also like your logo.
2) You are hitting on some good topics that have inspired me to go to the big names you are citing and looking into the techniques.
3) Your trees look to be healthy - makes me want to see your fertilization and watering regimen.

The Bad:
1) I have some trouble keeping up with your stream of consciousness style of instruction. I really think some benefit would come if you worked off an outline and had some more authority and projection in your speech.
2) More camera angles please! In this video I wanted to see a close up on the bridging techniques to see what you were exactly doing. Some editing would go a long way.

Just my two cents.

 

[milehigh_7]

Not to get hung up on semantics, but we aren't talking about what Ryan intends. We're talking about common use of the language. If I watch a cooking show on television starring Gordon Ramsey, that does not make me his student... at least not at the level where I can start producing my own cooking videos and claiming to be a "student of Gordon Ramsey". The only reason you say such a thing is to benefit from borrowed fame.

Far better for @Rafael Najmanovich to make his own kick-ass bonsai videos without suggesting a relationship to these other instructors... and if they are good videos they will stand on their own feet.

This is exactly how I see it. Creating a brand is hard and once established, is very valuable. I am very sorry @Rafael Najmanovich I just can't get past your name dropping. As long as you continue this practice I'll not watch nor recommend your videos and I may very well report them to Ryan. The alternative is as BNut says make your own great videos that come from your knowledge and experience and we can all learn and enjoy. I guess what I am saying is, create your own brand.

 

[AlainK]

(...) using someone else's name to promote your video, is disingenuous (...)

Thanks.

Thanks for the word "disingenuous" : in French, the adjective/noun ingénu(e) is very common, it's understood by 99% of the population. OK, 92%, but everyone senses that it has someting to do with sex and innocence.

There is no antonym to "ingénu(e)" in French, and the anglo-saxon appropriation of the term in its wider entrance in other parts of speech is really very pleasant to look at

Thanks for monitoring this forum with such a sense of Ethics.

Thanks
Ta
Merci

(...) using someone else's name to promote your video, is disingenuous (...)

Thanks.

Thanks for the word "disingenuous" : in French, the adjective/noun ingénu(e) is very common, it's understood by 99% of the population. OK, 92%, but everyone senses that it has someting to do with sex and innocence.

There is no antonym to "ingénu(e)" in French, and the anglo-saxon appropriation of the term in its wider entrance in other parts of speech is really very pleasant to look at

Thanks for monitoring this forum with such a sense of Ethics.

Thanks
Ta
Merci
Dziękuję
Tessekür ederim
Choukrân
Obrigado
Multumesc - this one, I'm not sure,


Etc.

A.K.

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

Chill out guys. I am not trying to hitch a ride on Ryan’s wagon. I am just telling where the information comes from. If I simply tell you do this or that you’d probably complain and ask why should I trust your information. Take the info I am giving you for free without you subscribing to Mirai (which you should) and use it or ignore it. At most the only ones to suffer will be your trees...

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

Oh and I get 3h live with active participation with Ryan each week for over two years now. I definitely consider myself a Mirai student and so does Ryan.

 

[milehigh_7]

Chill out guys. I am not trying to hitch a ride on Ryan’s wagon. I am just telling where the information comes from. If I simply tell you do this or that you’d probably complain and ask why should I trust your information. That’ll my info and use it or ignore it. At most the only ones to suffer will be your trees...

I'll give you one thing, you seem a little arrogant. Yet another reason to not support you.

 

[Cosmos]

Holy hell are people quick to criticize an honest-to-God passionate guy putting time and effort (and money by extension) into making videos that are intended to provide tips or help, for no consideration whatsoever.

Rafael is my friend in real life, we’re in the same study group, and he’s about the most helpful guy you can think of. As I’m the beginner of the group, we’ve known each other only for a few months, and he’s shown me a ton of stuff already, and very much is a realist when it comes to the different aspects of bonsai. Bonsai is not about ego, or fame by association or anything like that for him.

When he says he’s a student of Mirai, it’s because he’s watched every second of every video Mirai has put out (including the pro content), he watches the streams live most weeks (and most of the time asks at least one question), has watched the key streams several times and made summaries, just taking the whole "school" thing very seriously. If Mirai live is a bonsai "school", there must be some subscribers who qualify as "students", and if that’s the case, he’s in that category for sure.

Rafael is also deeply interested in the teaching aspect of bonsai, which is something these videos are a part of; he’s trying to develop his skills at communicating and synthesizing content in front of a camera, which is goddamn hard to do (for sure harder than writing posts on a forum). You can criticize the form or the content, he can absolutely take it, but ascribing all sorts of ill-intent to the guy or using words like "fraudulent", "misrepresentation", and "ego-driven" to describe what he’s doing is plain absurd.

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

I'll give you one thing, you seem a little arrogant. Yet another reason to not support you.

I am pretty sure any of what I said in camera or in this forum are 100% legit and within the user guidelines or whatever the rules are called. Insulting like you just did on the hand calling me a SOB, without even knowing my mom, may her memory be a blessing, that on the other hand I am pretty sure is not allowed. If anyone should be reported it is you.

 

[milehigh_7]

I am pretty sure any of what I said in camera or in this forum are 100% legit and within the user guidelines or whatever the rules are called. Insulting like you just did on the hand calling me a SOB, without even knowing my mom, may her memory be a blessing, that on the other hand I am pretty sure is not allowed. If anyone should be reported it is you.View attachment 251569

It's allowed. Do what you want. I will be emailing Ryan and reporting you on Youtube.

 

[Fabledabel]

Oh and I get 3h live with active participation with Ryan each week for over two years now. I definitely consider myself a Mirai student and so does Ryan.

I'm with you man. Your videos may need some work but the people suggesting you're doing damage to the Mirai brand are insane. You specifically said "using the Mirai method". NOT "Bonsai Mirai - Air Layering". THAT would be stealing a brand.

This is people being sensitive. I'd ignore it and keep going.

AND if anyone actively watched each stream theyd know that Ryan does consider you a student, no questions asked.